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Dear Progressive Reader,
Wednesday was the Juneteenth holiday commemorating 159 years since the day in 1865 when 2,000 Union troops arrived ([link removed]) in Galveston Bay, Texas, and informed 250,000 enslaved people that they had been freed by Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation.
In December 1962, on the eve of the 100th anniversary of that proclamation, The Progressive produced a special issue ([link removed]) titled “A Century of Struggle.” The magazine featured an array of prominent writers, thinkers, and activists looking at the promise of 1863 and what had, and what had not, been accomplished in the years since. It included voices like the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr., A. Phillip Randolph, Lillian Smith, and many more. It also featured the first publication of an essay ([link removed]) by James Baldwin, written as a letter to his nephew, which would later appear prominently in his book The Fire Next Time ([link removed]) .
The special issue also contained a letter from President John F. Kennedy who wrote ([link removed]) , “I am sure . . . that The Progressive will remind us that the task is not complete—that no American can cease striving until every American, whatever his creed or color, enjoys the rights assigned to all Americans in the Declaration of Independence.” Baldwin’s essay remains the most read article on our website, Kennedy’s words remain a mandate for our continued efforts.
This week on our website, Jeff Abbott reports ([link removed]) on efforts in Brazil to further criminalize abortion—part of a larger effort to promote a rightwing agenda throughout the region; Maurice Cunningham continues his analysis ([link removed]) of the group “Moms for Liberty” that is assailing schools around the country; Bill Blum explains ([link removed]) how Donald Trump is using delay to win his court cases; and cartoonist Mark Fiore illustrates ([link removed]) how Republicans want to pull the plug on electric vehicles. Plus Medea Benjamin and Nicolas J.S. Davies show ([link removed]) how
the United States continues to be the greatest obstacle to a ceasefire in Gaza; Arvind Dilawar reveals ([link removed]) the thinking behind the secret “Hannibal Directive” in Israel; and social movement scholars Ben Manski and Michael Heaney opine on the importance of protest movements in an election year. “In this contentious moment,” they write ([link removed]) , “the relative momentum of movements is likely to matter not only in voter turnout but also in the potentially tumultuous events that may follow November 5.”
If you are in Madison, Wisconsin, next week, The Progressive will be teaming up with local radio hosts to hold a viewing of the presidential debate ([link removed]) on Thursday, June 27, at the Barrymore Theatre. The doors open at 6:30 p.m. CDT, with a panel discussion at 7:00 p.m. and then the debate on the big screen starting at 8:00 p.m. It is free and open to the public, please join us if you are around.
We also sadly note the passing of labor and peace activist Frank Emspak. Frank died on June 14 following a battle with cancer. He was remembered this week in an article ([link removed]) by Paul Buhle for our website, as well as in obituaries ([link removed]) published in The New York Times, the Boston Globe, and the Wisconsin State Journal. In 2022, Frank wrote his autobiography Troublemaker: Saying No to Power which Buhle reviewed ([link removed]) for our website, and in February 2023 we hosted a booktalk which can be viewed ([link removed]) on our Youtube channel. A memorial event to honor Frank’s life and his accomplishments will be held at Olbrich Gardens in Madison, Wisconsin, on July 1.
Please keep reading, and we will keep bringing you important articles on these and other issues of our time.
Sincerely,
Norman Stockwell
Publisher
P.S. – Don’t miss a minute of the “hidden history” of 2024 – you can still order The Progressive’s new Hidden History of the United States calendar for the coming year. NOW HALF PRICE – Just $7.50 plus $3.00 shipping. Just go to indiepublishers.shop ([link removed]) , and while you are there, check out some of our other great offerings as well.
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P.P.P.P.S. – Thank you so much to everyone who has already donated to support The Progressive! We need you now more than ever. If you have not done so already, please take a moment to support hard-hitting, independent reporting on issues that matter to you. Your donation today will keep us on solid ground and will help us continue to grow in the coming years. You can use the wallet envelope in the current issue of the magazine, or click on the “Donate” button below to join your fellow progressives in sustaining The Progressive as a voice for peace, social justice, and the common good.
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